Wednesday, November 18, 2015

A Collection of Book Reviews

As you might know, I
recently published my first book Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness,
& Hebrew (Mosaica Press, 2014), which is now in its second edition.
Several bloggers and journalists have already read my book and have posted
positive reviews.

In Lashon
HaKodesh: History, Holiness & Hebrew (Mosaica Press ISBN-10:
1937887367545),
author Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein takes a historical and linguistic look at
Lashon Hakodesh and its derived languages. The title conveys the message that
Lashon Hakodesh and Hebrew are two different languages. In fact, the author
dedicates a chapter showing that Modern Hebrew, while connected to Lashon
Hakodesh, is clearly not identical to the elemental Lashon Hakodesh language.

The book is a fascinating and engaging reference to the topic. For
the traditional reader who wants to know the origins of the Divine language
they are using for sacred purposes, the book will likely answer most of their
questions. For the reader who simply wants to know the history and development
of ancient Hebrew and Aramaic, the book will also be extremely rewarding.

I can't wait to explore this more. I have to hand it to Rabbi
Reuven Chaim Klein for the intense and through footnotes and diversity of
sources he has to offer on this topic (and others throughout the book, of
course). My brain sparks are flying off in dozens of directions with every page
turn.

…In his recent book “Lashon
Hakodesh : History, Holiness and Hebrew” (Mosaica Press 2014)
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein affords Lashon Hakodesh the attention it
deserves. Of particular importance is Rabbi Klein’s use of the academic method
to provide an impressive survey of rabbinical commentary throughout the ages. The
book addresses some basic and important questions concerning the language. Did
Adam speak Lashon Hakodesh? What about our forefather Abraham? Did the
letters of Lashon Hakodesh appear the same way throughout the
centuries? How did the rabbis resolve Talmudic sources referring to the Ashuri
script (which we use today) as the original with sources which indicate that
the Ivri script (found in many archaeology sites and depicted on the State of
Israel’s one shekel coin) came first?

The book also addresses the question of what distinguishes Lashon
Hakodesh from other languages. Rabbi Klein cites prominent sources concerning
the essential rather than arbitrary nature of the language as discussed above.
He similarly provides a synopsis of the main interpretations as to why the
language is called “holy”… (Click
here to read the full article.Rabbi
Baron adds many more interesting and fun facts aboutLashon
HaKodeshand
language in general.)

Rabbi Reuven Klein’s Lashon
Hakodesh is an outstanding work that traces the history of the Hebrew
language, and by extension, the many languages that Jews have used over the
centuries. In addition to Hebrew, much attention is given to Aramaic, including
discussions on the many prayers that are recited in Aramaic. The book is
replete with reference to the entire body of Torah literature, such as Tanach,
Talmud, rishonim, achronim, midrashim,
along with halachic material where relevant. History, archaeology, and other
sciences also make an appearance where relevant.

Rabbi Klein has done an admirable job of presenting the multi-faceted history of the Hebrew language within Jewish tradition and culture. The discussion of any of the topics in Klein’s book is comprehensive and filled with a copious amount of sources from traditional Jewish literature ranging from the Talmud and Midrash, traditional parshanut (interpretation), halakhic and responsa literature, and works of Jewish thought and philosophy. All throughout the book Klein also brings modern scholarship about Hebrew, referring to the research of such scholars as Gilad Zuckerman and Gary Rendsberg.

Spanning from the beginning of time, right up to the use of modern-day Hebrew and the State of Israel, the book packs a lot of information and material into its pages, but it’s not in the least overwhelming... an interesting read even if you’re not a language ‘nerd’, and full of fascinating facts about the Jewish use of biblical Hebrew that you probably never knew before.

Lashon Hakodesh: History, Holiness & Hebrew by Rabbi Reuven
Chaim Klein is one of the most exciting and intellectually stimulating books I
and the other reviewers at Frumjewishbooks.com have read in a long time.
Everyone here insisted on having a chance to read it... Rabbi Klein takes what
seems like a mundane topic – the Hebrew language – and in this ground-breaking
work, blasts it open with questions that leave the reader reeling Why didn’t I
ever ask that? ...Rabbi Klein takes a systematic, academic approach in the
presentation of his material, with careful documentation of sources, while
remaining firmly grounded in Torah sources. The writing style is clear and
accessible. As an added bonus, the book is clearly laid out, with a beautiful
cover, which makes the experience of studying it a really joyful experience.

Alan Gerber, known as the Kosher Bookworm, writes about my book in the Jewish Star:

The author of “Lashon Hakodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew” (Mosaica Press, 2015), is Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, a native of Valley Village, California... In this work dealing with the origins and theological base of the Hebrew language, we learn many little known aspects of a language that has served as the base of our religious faith and a source of linguistic traditions going back to the very beginning of human history....

Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, and Hebrew, examines the Hebrew language from an analytical perspective that brings to light little known facts to help people gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the language. It delves into the use of Aramaic in biblical writings, and what languages were spoken during different time periods in the Bible. Rabbi Klein’s analysis provides fuel for the reader who will gain a great passion and understanding of the distinctiveness of the Hebrew language.

This book presents the traditional approach to the development of Hebrew and Aramaic, from Genesis to the modern era. Of particular interest to JBQ readers are the sections regarding the language that Adam spoke and how did he learn it, the language spoken prior to the Tower of Babel, the language spoken by the Israelites while in Egypt, the development of Hebrew script and possible Egyptian influences on Biblical names. The author is a frequent contributor to this journal, and as in his articles here, the book is meticulously researched with extensive footnotes and sources.

There is an author out there whose combined erudition in Torah research as well as secular research is quite formidable. This is readily apparent in the revised edition of Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness and Hebrew... The book is true to our Mesorah, yet it finds a way to include the archaeological evidence behind various theories too. - I have no doubt that anyone who reads this remarkable work will be be thoroughly taken with it. This author looks forward to further works by Rabbi Klein.

Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, in his new book on the development of the Hebrew language, finds himself having to maintain a delicate balance. The purpose of the book is to take a serious look at the origins, development and current state of Hebrew as well as its influence on other languages through the ages. The balance comes between presenting the opinion of Torah sources on the subject and those of academics... Overall I recommend this as a good read and one that will deepen the reader's appreciation of what Lashon Hakodesh truly is.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

I am proud to announce the publication of my first book "Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew" (Mosaica Press, 2014).Hardcover: 289 pagesLanguage: EnglishThroughout Jewish literature, the Hebrew language is referred to as Lashon HaKodesh. Its history, origins, decline, and rebirth are simply fascinating. Furthermore, at its deepest level, Lashon HaKodesh is called such (“the Holy Language”) because it is intrinsically sacred – and is thus unlike any other language known to Man.

Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew seeks to understand the holiness of Lashon HaKodesh, follows its history, and focuses on the significance of Aramaic and other ‘Jewish languages’ such as Yiddish and Ladino. An extended section is devoted to Modern Hebrew, its controversies, and its implications from a religious perspective. This unique work delves into the linguistic history of each ‘Jewish language’, as well as the philological, Kabbalistic, and Halachic approaches to this topic taken by various Rabbinic figures through the ages. The author also compares and contrasts traditional Jewish views to those of modern-day academia, offering proofs and difficulties to both approaches.

As the old saying goes, “Two Jews, three opinions.” In almost every chapter, more than one way of looking at the matter at hand is presented. In some cases, the differing opinions can be harmonized, but ultimately many matters remain subject to dispute. Hopefully, the mere knowledge of these sources will whet the reader’s intellectual curiosity to learn more.Written by a brilliant young scholar, Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew is ground-breaking, intriguing, and remarkable.This book is available for purchase in Jewish bookstores in America and Israel and online at the following websites:

...has done a great service to us in his work on the Hebrew language, its origins, and inherent holiness. It is the only language of the ancient past that has survived, revived itself, and is in use by millions of people in today's world. This relatively short work is full of information, tradition, and insights. The history of Hebrew is a microcosm of the history of the story of the Jewish people itself. It is a work to be studied, appreciated, and read by all those who truly wish to understand Torah, holiness, and Jewish survival. --Rabbi Berel Wein (Jewish Destiny Foundation, founder)

...provides a very thorough and intriguing account of the language that secular scholars and laypeople generally call Hebrew as it is presented by Rabbinic scholars in the vast Jewish religious literature from the Talmud up to the present day... a major resource for all who wish to understand traditional Jewish scholarly approaches to Jewish linguistics. --Dr. Bernard Spolsky (Bar Ilan University, professor emeritus)

...I commend the author on this enlightening presentation and recommend this work to all those who want to enrich their understanding of the importance and implications of our holy language... --Rabbi Zev Leff (Moshav Matityahu, Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva)